Saban Entertainment
Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International, which operated outside the US; current legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) is a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by music and television producers Haim Saban1and Shuki Levy as "Saban Productions". This company was known for importing, dubbing, and adapting several Japanese series such as Maple Town (...Stories), Noozles (Fushigi na Koala Blinky and Pinky), Funky Fables (Video Anime Ehonkan Sekai Meisaku Dowa), Samurai Pizza Cats (Kyatto Ninden Teyande) and the first three Digimon series to North America and international markets for syndication, including both animation and live action shows. Saban is also notable for their various toku adapts of several shows from Toei Company, which include the massively-popular Power Rangers (based on the Super Sentai''series), ''Big Bad Beetleborgs (based on Juukou B-Fighter), VR Troopers (featuring elements of Metal Hero series like Space Sheriff Shaider, Jikuu Senshi Spielban and Choujinki Metalder), and Masked Rider (an original interpretation using scenes from the Japanese Kamen Rider Black RX). Saban was involved in the co-production of French/American animated shows created by Jean Chalopin for DIC Entertainment. Some of these early 1980s co-productions were Camp Candy, Ulysses 31, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, and The Mysterious Cities of Gold (the third of which was a Japanese co-production). Saban has also distributed and provided music for TV programs produced by other companies, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Inspector Gadget and the first 2 dub seasons of Dragon Ball Z. History Early years Saban Entertainment was formed in 19804 as "Saban Productions". The first Saban logo depicted a Saturn-like planet with the word "Saban", in a Pac-Man style font, going across the planet's ring. The planet had five lines under the word "Productions". Several years later, the company created Saban International), for international distribution of its shows (note: though used interchangeably with "Saban International Paris", they were technically two different entities). In 1986, Saban Productions bought the foreign rights to the DIC Enterprises library of children's programming from DIC's parent DIC Animation City, and then sold the rights to Jean Chalopin's C&D.56 DIC then sued Saban for damages and in 1991, DIC and Saban reached a settlement.7 In 1988, the company renamed itself Saban Entertainment.[citation needed] As the company grew additional executive were hired as to push into new areas like prime time programming. Saban hired, to head Saban International distribution arm, Stan Golden from Horizon International TV. Then in August 1989, Tom Palmieri came from MTM Enterprises to become Saban president. By January 2, 1990, Saban formed Saban/Scherick Productions division for production done with Edgar Scherick, primarily miniseries and made-for-TV movies.4 Partnership with Marvel Entertainment Groupedit New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban (X-Men), and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man) each produced a Marvel series for television.8 In July 1996, Fox Children's Network secured rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil and Silver Surfer and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over seven years.9 Also in July, Saban formed a new division, Saban Enterprises International, to handle international licensing, merchandising and promotional activities under president Michael Welter. Oliver Spiner, senior vice president of Saban International, takes over operational duties previously handled by Welter. Eric Rollman was promoted from senior vice president production to executive vice president of Saban Animation.10 In 1996, Fox Children's Productions merged with Saban Entertainment to form Fox Kids Worldwide bring the Marvel Productions and Marvel Films Animation library.111213 Marvel was developing a Captain America animated series with Saban Entertainment for Fox Kids to premiere in fall 1998.14 However, due to Marvel's bankruptcy the series was canceled before the premiere.15 Both Marvel and Saban would become parts of The Walt Disney Company; Saban (renamed BVS Entertainment) in 2002 and Marvel by the end of 2009. Then in 2010, Haim Saban founded a new company, Saban Capital Group (SCG), they produced shows under the name Saban Brands such as all Power Rangers seasons starting with Power Rangers Samurai and Glitter Force.16 BVS Entertainment On July 23, 2001, it was announced that the group would be sold to The Walt Disney Company as part of the sale of Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide (now ABC Family Worldwide) by Haim Saban and News Corporation,17 and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed12 and the group was renamed BVS Entertainment.3 The last official program and fully produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment was Power Rangers Time Force. However, Power Rangers Wild Force was the last series created by Saban and the latest which had a collaboration (Saban created the series and produced only pre-production, following the acquisition of Saban Entertainment and Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide, the show belongs to copyright of Disney and was distributed by BVS, although the show was produced by MMPR Productions, the producer of the Power Rangers during the Saban era). Haim Saban left Saban International Paris in the same year and was eventually split and sold off from Saban Entertainment to became an independent studio. Disney would eventually purchase a 49% minority stake in this division, which on October 1, 2002 was renamed to SIP Animation, which continued producing content until 2009. One portion of Saban Entertainment was renamed to Sensation Animation in 200218 so that Disney could continue dubbing Digimon (the second half of Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier) episodes. This division ceased operations in 2003 after Disney lost the rights to dub Digimon. Disney however would go on to dub and distribute the previously-undubbed four Digimon movies in 2005 and the fifth TV season, Digimon Data Squad in 2007, but this time the dubbing was handled by post-production studio Studiopolis. Since Saban Capital Group purchased back the rights to Power Rangers and Digimon, BVS became dormant. Saban International Paris Main article: SIP Animation Saban International Paris, later SIP Animation, was a television production company based in France that operated from 1977 to 2009. Saban International Paris was founded in France by Haim Saban and Jacqueline Tordjman in 1977 as a record company. In 1989, Saban International Paris moved into the animation field.19The studio would go on to produce many animated series for Fox Kids Europe in the 1990s and 2000s. Haim Saban departed the company in 2001 with the purchase of Fox Family Worldwide, which was followed by The Walt Disney Company taking a stake in the company and a name change to SIP Animation on October 1, 2002.202122 SIP continued to co-produce animated series with Jetix Europe (previously Fox Kids Europe) during the 2000s.2324 SIP Animation was closed25 in 2009.26 Category:The Walt Disney Company Category:Companies based in Los Angeles, California